Cathay Pacific Airlines Settles Freight Shipping Price-Fixing Class Action
Saturday, February 15, 2014

On February 12, 2014, Cathay Pacific Airlines Ltd. settled a freight shipping price-fixing multidistrict class action litigation in the Eastern District of New York.  In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Air Cargo Antitrust Litigation, case number 1:06-md-01775.  The Hong Kong-based airline agreed to pay consumers of air-freight shipping services $65 million in the settlement.  After the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission initiated investigations of the air freight industry, purchasers of shipping services brought price-fixing actions against air cargo companies from two dozen countries in 2006.  The Department of Justice claimed that these air cargo companies conspired to set the rate at which they charged for certain routes.  These airlines then held subsequent meetings to ensure that these rates were enforced.  To date, 20 defendant groups have paid $758 million in settlements with eight defendant groups still remaining in the class action.  Cathay Pacific previously paid $1.44 million to the Canadian Competition Bureau and $60 million to the Department of Justice for pleading guilty to violations of Canadian and United States competition and antitrust laws, respectively.

 

NLR Logo

We collaborate with the world's leading lawyers to deliver news tailored for you. Sign Up to receive our free e-Newsbulletins

 

Sign Up for e-NewsBulletins